Conveying device

Abstract

A method and a device for transferring piece good (S, S v , S n ) accurate in phase, delivered by a delivery device along a conveying direction (x) and the respective functional length (Lf) and a moment of delivery (t 1 ) of the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) being detected at or upstream of a transfer section of the delivery device. The delivered piece good (S, S v , S n ) is transferred from the transfer section of the delivery device accurately in cycle to a distancing device, which includes distancing conveyors along the conveying direction (x). The speed of each of the distancing conveyors is individually controlled by a transfer section of the distancing device for the transfer of the piece good(S) accurate in phase. The respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) is transferred from the transfer section of the spacing conveyor to a discharge device accurate in phase.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for transferring piece good (S, S v , S n ) accurate in phase to a discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) arranged along a longitudinal axis (L A ), comprising the following steps:
 delivering of the piece good (S, S v , S n ) by a delivery device ( 1 . 2 ) along a conveying direction (x) of the delivery device ( 1 . 2 );   determining a virtual length (V L ) and a virtual width (V B ) as well as a moment of delivery (t 1 ) of the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) by a first sensor ( 2 . 1 ) at a transfer section ( 1 . 2 . 1 ) or upstream of the transfer section ( 1 . 2 . 1 ) of the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ), whereby the virtual length (V L ) being detected parallel to the longitudinal axis (L A ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) and the virtual width (V B ) being detected perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (L A ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 );   calculating a virtual layout of the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) in the form of a virtual rectangle (VR), which is minimized to the virtual length (V L ) and the virtual width (V B ) in such a way that the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) is completely enclosed by the virtual rectangle (V R );   transferring the delivered piece good (S, S v , S n ) accurate in cycle piece good from the transfer section ( 1 . 2 . 1 ) of the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ) to a distancing device ( 1 . 3 ), which comprises a plurality of distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ), which are arranged successively along a conveying direction (x 1 ) of the distancing device ( 1 . 3 );   controlling the speed of each of the distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) of the plurality of distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) for transferring the piece good (S, S v , S n ) accurate in phase from a transfer section ( 1 . 3 . 2 ) of the distancing device ( 1 . 3 );   transferring the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) accurate in phase from the transfer section ( 1 . 3 . 2 ) of the spacing conveyor ( 1 . 3 ) to a discharge device ( 1 . 4 ).   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the virtual rectangle (V R ) is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis (L A ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ), irrespective of the actual alignment of the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) on the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ). 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a virtual center point (V M ) of the virtual rectangle (V R ) is calculated and, based on the moment of delivery (t 1 ) and the position of the virtual center point (V M ) on the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ), the speed of the plurality of distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) is controlled such that at the transfer section ( 1 . 3 . 2 ) of the distancing device ( 1 . 3 ) the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) is transferred to the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) accurate in phase. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the speed of the respective distancing conveyor ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) of the plurality of distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) is controlled by the control unit ( 2 ) such that the virtual center point (V M ) is transferred to an assigned delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) accurate in phase in such a way that the virtual center point (V M ), and thus the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ), comes to lie essentially centrally with respect to the longitudinal axis (L A ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) on the assigned delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ). 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein on the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ), upstream of the transfer section ( 1 . 3 . 2 ) of the distancing device ( 1 . 3 ), delivery places ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) on the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) are monitored and a respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) is already assigned to an unoccupied delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ), or a conveyor tray, on the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ), by the control unit ( 2 ). 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the delivery places ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) are monitored by a further sensor ( 2 . 2 ) and the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ) and the distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) are operated in a stop-and-go mode in such a way that the piece good (S, S v , S n ) is transferred to the assigned delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) on the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) accurate in phase. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the length of the respective virtual rectangle (V R ) is determined and:
 a. if the virtual length (V L ) is shorter than the length (L S ) of a delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ), the virtual center point (V M ) is transferred essentially centrally phase accurate to the assigned delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) along the longitudinal axis (L A ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ), or   b. if the virtual length (V L ) is longer than the length (Ls) of a delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ), the virtual center point (V M ) is transferred phase accurate essentially centrally between two successive delivery places ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) along the longitudinal axis (L A ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ).   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the actual layout of the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) is detected by an optical sensor ( 2 . 1 ), a light grid, or laser grid, and the virtual layout of the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) is calculated by the control unit ( 2 ). 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the piece good (S, S v , S n ) is placed on the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ) in such a way that it is already aligned on the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ) parallel to the longitudinal axis (L A ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ). 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the piece good (S, S v , S n ) is transferred discontinuously to the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ) by at least one feeding device ( 1 . 1 ) in such a way that the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) is transferred to the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ) within a delivery cycle (A) and comes to rest on the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ). 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the feeding device ( 1 . 1 ) comprises a plurality of belt conveyors ( 1 . 1 . 1 ), whereby on each of the plurality of belt conveyors ( 1 . 1 . 1 ) piece good (S, S v , S n ) of only one certain size category (G 1 , G 2 ) and/or a product category is provided, so that a pattern of piece good (S, S v , S n ) of different size categories (G 1 , G 2 ) and/or product categories is achieved by an alternating transfer of piece good (S, S v , S n ) to the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ). 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of distancing devices ( 1 . 3 ) are angled with respect to the longitudinal axis (L A ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) and are arranged adjacent to the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) with an offset relative to one another along the longitudinal axis (L A ). 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) is a tray conveyor ( 1 . 4 . 1 ) with a plurality of discharge places as conveyor trays ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) and the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) is transferred accurately in phase at the transfer section ( 1 . 3 . 2 ) of the spacing conveyor ( 1 . 3 ) to one of the conveyor trays ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) of the plurality of conveyor trays ( 1 . 4 . 2 ). 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) is aligned within the cycle by the plurality of distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) of the distancing device ( 1 . 3 ) in such a way that it comes to lie within the phase of the respective conveyor tray ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) when it is transferred to the respective conveyor tray ( 1 . 4 . 2 ). 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) of the distancing device ( 1 . 3 ) are accelerated or decelerated such that the velocity profile of the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) corresponds to a polynomial equation of fifth order. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least two adjacent distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) of the plurality of distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) are at least temporarily coupled by the control system to form a virtual distancing conveyor when the functional length (L f ) of the piece good (S, S v , S n ) exceeds the length of one of the at least two distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) along the conveying direction (x 1 ) of the distancing conveyor ( 1 . 3 . 1 ). 
     
     
         17 . A conveying system ( 1 ) for carrying out the method according to  claim 1 , comprising a delivery device ( 1 . 2 ) for delivering the piece good (S, S v , S n ) along a conveying direction (x) of the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ), a control unit ( 2 ) which is interconnected to at least one first sensor ( 2 . 1 ) for determining a virtual length (V L ) and a virtual width (V B ) as well as a moment of delivery (t 1 ) of the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) at or before a transfer section ( 1 . 2 . 1 ) of the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ), wherein the transfer section ( 1 . 2 . 1 ) of the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ) is configured to transfer the delivered piece good (S, S v , S n ) to a distancing device ( 1 . 3 ), which comprises a plurality of distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) along the conveying direction (x 1 ), whereby the speed of each of the distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) of the plurality of distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) being controllable for the phase accurate transfer of the piece good (S, S v , S n ) from a transfer section ( 1 . 3 . 2 ) of the distancing device ( 1 . 3 ) to a discharge device ( 1 . 4 ), whereby the control unit ( 2 ) is configured to calculate a virtual layout of the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) in the form of a virtual rectangle (V R ) and the virtual rectangle (V R ) is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis (L A ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) independently of the actual orientation of the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ). 
     
     
         18 . A control unit ( 2 ) for controlling a conveying system ( 1 ) for transferring piece good (S, S v , S n ) accurate in phase, the control unit ( 2 ) being configured for,
 a. receiving geometrical information (D) of a first sensor ( 2 . 1 ) which is configured to detect the functional length (L f ) and the functional width (L B ) and/or a virtual layout as well as the moment of delivery (t 1 ) of the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) at or upstream of a transfer section ( 1 . 2 . 1 ) of the delivery device ( 1 . 2 );   b. receiving occupancy data (B) in order to determine unoccupied transport spaces, preferably in the form of trays n, on the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) upstream of a transfer section ( 1 . 3 . 2 ) of the distancing device ( 1 . 3 );   c. transferring control signals (E) to each of the plurality of distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) of the distancing device ( 1 . 3 ) to control the speed thereof, wherein   d. the control unit ( 2 ) calculates, based on the geometry information (D) detected by the first sensor ( 2 . 1 ) the virtual layout of the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) in the form of a virtual rectangle (V R ), which is minimized to the virtual length (V L ) and the virtual width (V B ), wherein the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) is completely enclosed by the virtual rectangle (V R ) and, controls based on the virtual rectangle (V R ) and the moment of delivery (t 1 ) the plurality of distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) by the control signals (E) in such a way that the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) can be transferred accurate in phase to the assigned delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) on the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ).   
     
     
         19 . The control unit ( 2 ) according to  claim 18 , wherein the control unit ( 2 ) is configured to constantly align the virtual rectangle (V R ) in such a way that it is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis (L A ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ), irrespective of the actual alignment of the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) on the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ). 
     
     
         20 . The control unit ( 2 ) according to  claim 18 , wherein the control unit ( 2 ) is configured to receive the occupancy data (B) from a second sensor ( 2 . 2 ) which detects unoccupied delivery places ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) on a discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) upstream of a transfer section ( 1 . 3 . 2 ) of the distancing device ( 1 . 3 ) or to determine unoccupied delivery places ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) on the basis of an occupancy plan of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ). 
     
     
         21 . The control unit ( 2 ) according to  claim 18 , wherein the control unit ( 2 ) is configured to calculate a virtual center point (V M ) of the virtual rectangle (V R ) and, based on the moment of delivery (t 1 ) and the virtual center point (V M ), to calculate the position of the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) on the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ) and thereby control the speed of the plurality of distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) in such a way that at the transfer section ( 1 . 3 . 2 ) of the distancing device ( 1 . 3 ) the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) is transferred accurate in phase to a delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ). 
     
     
         22 . The control unit ( 2 ) according to  claim 18 , wherein the control unit ( 2 ) is configured to dynamically control the speed of the plurality of distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) in such a way that the virtual center point (V M ) is transferred to the assigned delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) in such a way that the virtual center point (V M ) and thus the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) comes to rest essentially centrally with respect to the longitudinal axis (L A ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) on the assigned delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ). 
     
     
         23 . The control unit ( 2 ) according to  claim 20 , wherein the control unit ( 2 ) is configured to assign a respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) to an unoccupied delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) on the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ), or a tray, already on the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ) based on the occupancy data (B) of the second sensor ( 2 . 2 ). 
     
     
         24 . The control unit ( 2 ) according to  claim 23 , wherein the control unit ( 2 ) is configured to operate the delivery device ( 1 . 2 ) and the distancing conveyors ( 1 . 3 . 1 ) in a stop-and-go mode in order to transfer the piece good (S, S v , S n ) in each case to the assigned unoccupied delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) on the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ). 
     
     
         25 . The control unit ( 2 ) according to  claim 18 , wherein the control unit ( 2 ) is configured to calculate, based on the geometrical information (D) of the first sensor ( 2 . 1 ), whether the virtual length (V L ) falls below or exceeds the length (L S ) of a delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) and based thereon:
 a. to transfer the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) along the longitudinal axis (L A ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) essentially centrally to the assigned delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) if the virtual length (V L ) is less than the length (Ls) of a delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ), or   b. to transfer the respective piece good (S, S v , S n ) along the longitudinal axis (L A ) of the discharge device ( 1 . 4 ) essentially centrally between two successive delivery places ( 1 . 4 . 2 ) If the virtual length (V L ) exceeds the length (L S ) of a delivery place ( 1 . 4 . 2 ).